Truck body closure

ABSTRACT

Closure for open top truck box body is a single rigid member which opens hingeably on a transverse axis near the upper front edge of the box body and has skirt portions which extend downwardly along sides of the box body in the closed position. Hydraulic cylinders open the closure and pressure of fluid supplied to the cylinders is limited to a pre-selected value so that the cylinders can only raise the closure itself and cannot raise it if it carries an additional load. Thus it cannot be operated to serve as a crane or hoist and cannot be raised if a person is standing on it.

United States Patent [191 Hoch [ TRUCK BODY CLOSURE [75] Inventor:Norris R. Hoch, Largo, Fla

[73] Assignee: Jeff-K0 Manufacturing Co., Inc.,

Milwaukee, Wis.

[22] Filed: Mar. 25, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 454,728

[52] US. Cl. 296/100; 49/340; 105/377; 296/137 R; 298/23 R; 298/23 D[51] Int. C1. B60P 7/02 [58] Field of Search 296/100, 101, 137 B, 28 D,296/137 R; 105/377, 276, 277; 298/23 R, 23 C; 49/340;

[ Oct. 21, 1975 3,127,817 4/1964 Duner .1 92/75 X 3,183,873 5/1965Hamilton 49/340 X 3,450,431 6/1969 Tyler 296/100 Primary ExaminerRobertJ. Spar Assistant ExaminerDonald W. Underwood Attorney, Agent, orFirmJohn M. Diehl [57] ABSTRACT Closure for open top truck box body is asingle rigid member which opens hingeably on a transverse axis near theupper front edge of the box body and has skirt portions which extenddownwardly along sides of the box body in the closed position. Hydrauliccylinders open the closure and pressure of fluid supplied to thecylinders is limited to a pre-selected value so that the cylinders canonly raise the closure itself and cannot raise it if it carries anadditional load. Thus it cannot be operated to serve as a crane or hoistand cannot be raised if a person is standing on it.

6 Claims, N0 Drawings US. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet10f2 3,913,969

M Qk lilllllhlilllllllllill|llllihim 2 U.S. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet 2of2 3,913,969

|iillillluilllllnulllilliHiHi F nmuuinmilumHillilllHlH\ilulnlilllllilhumHlHHHIH Z TRUCK BODY CLOSURE FIELD This inventionrelates to a top closure for a truck body box which is open at the topand more particularly to such a closure which comprises a single memberof substantially rigid construction and which is hinged to the box atthe front on a transverse axis and which is opened hydraulically.

SUMMARY Open dump trucks have been used for carrying a large variety ofmaterials including sand, gravel, rock, refuse and debris and the like.Open-topped box body farm trucks are often used for carrying smallgrains such as wheat and shelled corn. Open-topped semitrailers areoften used for carrying small grains such as wheat and corn and they arealso used for carrying fine material such as sand and fertilizer. Manyfine materials carried in such box bodies tend to be blown from the bodyor removed from the body by air currents resulting from ambient winds,air flow due to speed of the vehicle or a combination of both. In someinstances such loss of material is objectionable to the truckerorshipper. This is the case if small grain or fertilizer is lost in thismanner. If dirt, refuse or fine dust, however, is lost in this manner,generally those who then object most are other motorists and owners ofproperty adjoining roads on which the trucks operate.

Thus, for various reasons closure means to prevent loss of material fromopen-topped truck bodies are desirable.

Accordingly, means have heretofore been proposed for providing closuresfor such truck bodies. Generally such closures have involved flexiblecovers or sectional covers and generally opening and closing such covershas been accomplished manually.

For small trucks such as pickups it has been proposed to provide asingle substantially rigid closure member generally counterbalanced withhinge and spring members located inside the body for easy manualoperation. Covers such as have been proposed for such pickups are whollyimpractical for dump trucks or semitrailers. Flexible covers or coversinvolving flexible portions generally have been found to deterioraterelatively rapidly. Sectional covers are relatively inherently complexand accordingly relatively expensive and have not been widely adopted.

In accordance with the present invention a single substantially rigidclosure member is provided for open-top box bodies of large vehiclessuch as dump trucks and semi-trailers. Operation of the closure isaccomplished with hydraulic cylinders disposed exterior to the closureand to the box body and the closure is hinged on a transverse axisdisposed forwardly and upwardly of the upper front edge of the boxportion of the body.

Conventional hydraulic components including a pump and a reservoir areprovided to supply hydraulic fluid to the cylinders at a suitablepressure. In accordance with the invention, however, regulating orrestricting means are provided to make possible the operation of settingthe pressure at a preselected value such that the closure member cannotbe raised if a person is standing on top of it or if a portion of theload inside the box body has become entangled with or hooked onto anyportion of the closure member. In this way also operation of the closuremember as a hoist or crane is avoided since such operation might damagethe closure member since it may be optimally designed not to serve asthe boom of the hoist or crane but only to act as a closure and supportits own weight.

OBJECTS It is therefore an object of the invention to provide animproved closure member for an open-topped box body of a wheeled vehiclesuch as a dump truck or semi-trailer.

Another object is such a closure provided with supplementary means toprevent escape of or loss of the contents of the box body therefrom.

Another object is method and means to prevent operation of the closuremember as a crane or hoist.

Another object is method and means to prevent, as a safety measure,operation of the closure when a person is standing on top thereof.

Further objects will become apparent from the following detaileddescription and the drawings:

DRAWINGS In the figures like part numbers refer to like parts and:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a hydraulic system showing the method ofoperation of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION Referring now to FIG. 1 there is shown a dump truckindicated generally as 10 comprising an open-topped box body indicatedgenerally as 11 which comprises a portion 13 extending over a cab 12 ofthe truck to protect the cab from falling articles and material. Sucharticles or material are generally a portion of the load being dumpedinto the truck body from a crane or shovel and most if not all largedump trucks are provided with a portion corresponding to portion 13 toprotect the cab and its occupant or occupants from falling portions ofthe load which miss the box body and would otherwise damage or even insome instances crush the cab. Closure member 14 is a singlesubstantially rigid structure of substantially rigid material such assteel and is disposed to overlie and cover the open top of the box body.Closure 14 is preferably provided at its sides and rear with dependingskirt portions 15 which extend downwardly as shown along and adjacent toupper portions of the sides of the box body and the rear of the box body11. To open closure member 14, hydraulic operating members 16 may beprovided, each of which comprises a cylinder 17 and a piston (not shown)contained within cylinder 17 and connected to piston rod 18.

Means 19 are provided near the upper front edge of closure 14 forattaching hydraulic operating members 16 to closure 14 with pins 20.

Means are provided near the forwardmost portion of projecting portion 13for attaching hydraulic operating members 16 to box body 11 with pins22.

Members 23 are attached to closure 14 and extend forwardly therefrom andmembers 24 are attached to box body 11 or a portion thereof such as aportion of portion 13 and extend upwardly therefrom and members 23 and24 are hingeably attached with pins 25 to provide for hingeable movementof closure 14 with respect to box body 11 on axis 25 which extendstransversely with respect to the vehicle and is located substantiallyforwardly of upper front top edge 26 of the box body and at an elevationabove that of edge 26.

Means such as described below in connection with FIG. 3 to supplyhydraulic fluid to hydraulic operating members 16 may be enclosed withinthe enclosure 27 attached to portion 13.

The position of closure 14 when it is opened or raised to the maximumextent possible, and the corresponding positions of hydraulic operatingmembers 16, are shown in dashed lines respectively at 14 and 16.

In another embodiment the invention is applied to a semitrailer as shownin FIG. 2 wherein semi-trailer indicated generally as 30 may be attachedto a tractor.

Semi-trailer 30 is provided with an open-top box body 31 and inaccordance with the invention closure 34 is provided for box body 31.Closure 34 may be provided with depending skirt portions 35 which mayextend downward, outside the upper portions of the sides of box body 31and the rear of box body 31. Skirt portions 35 may be rigid as shown inFIG. 2 or flexible as shown for skirt portions 15 in FIG. 1.

Hydraulic operating members 16 may be identical with those of FIG. 1 asshown or may be larger or smaller. Each of members 16 may be attached atone end with pins 36 to brackets 37 extending from body 31. The otherends of members 16 may be attached with pins 38 to brackets 39 extendingfrom closure 34.

Brackets 39 may be attached to brackets 40 extending from body 31 withpins 41 disposed on axis 42. Axis 42 extends transversely with respectto the vehicle, that is, semi-trailer 30, and is preferably disposed asshown, forwardly of the upper front edge 43 of box body 31 and at anelevation higher than that of said edge 43.

The apparatus shown schematically in FIG. 3 may be contained withinenclosure 27' attached to body 31.

Referring now to FIG. 3 there is shown schematically apparatus forsupplying hydraulic fluid under pressure to hydraulic operating members16 of FIGS. 1 and 2 which may comprise, as shown, pump 50, reservoir 51,valve 52 and a regulator or restrictor 53 which is manually adjustableor settable. In accordance with the invention, as a critical step in theoperation of the device, regulator or restrictor 53 is adjusted or setso that the pressure supplied through valve 52 to member 16 issufficiently great to open or raise closure 14 or closure 34 but isinsufficient to raise either closure 14 or 34 when a person is standingon top thereof to prevent as a safety measure injury to such a personwho might be caused to fall from 15 to 30 feet or more if the closurewere raised under these circumstances. Likewise, damage to the closureis prevented which might be caused if the closure were opened at a timewhen a portion of the load within the box body is entangled with orotherwise temporarily accidentally attached to the closure.

The closure would be likely to be damaged if it were used as a crane ora hoist unless it was specifically designed to be sufficiently strongand heavy for this purpose. Usually the closures are made only strongenough to serve their function as closures. Use of the apparatus forsuch purposes which might damage the closure may be prevented byproviding restrictor 53 and carrying out the step of setting therestrictor 53 in the manner hereinbefore described.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that equivalents may beutilized.

Accordingly, the present invention may be embodied in other specificforms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof,and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims,rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope ofthe invention.

It is claimed:

1. In a load carrying wheeled vehicle open top box body having sides anda front and rear and provided with a closure for the open top of the boxbody, the combination of a single substantially rigid closure member ofsubstantially rigid material extending entirely over said open top ofsaid box body, said substantially rigid closure member hingedly attachedto said box body near the upper front edge of said box body to hingedlyopen on an axis, said axis being transverse with respect to the vehicle,

said axis being disposed both forward from said upper front edge and atan elevation higher than said upper front edge, at least one hydraulicoperating member having two ends and comprising a cylinder and a piston,

means for attaching said hydraulic operating member to saidsubstantially rigid closure member outside the interior of said bodyenclosed by said body and said closure member,

means for attaching said hydraulic operating member to a portion of saidbox body outside the interior of said body enclosed by said body andsaid closure member,

the ends of said hydraulic operating member being attached respectivelyto said means, and

means for supplying hydraulic fluid under pressure to said hydraulicoperating member.

2. In the device of claim 1, skirt portions depend downwardly from sideand rear edges of said substantially rigid closure member to extenddownwardly alongside upper portions of the sides and rear of said boxbody when said substantially rigid closure member is in the closedposition.

3. In a load carrying wheeled vehicle open top box body having sides anda front and rear and provided with a closure for the open top of the boxbody, the combination of a single substantially rigid closure member ofsubstantially rigid material extending entirely over said open top ofsaid box body, said substantially rigid closure member hingedly attachedto said box body near the upper front edge of said box body to hingedlyopen on an axis, said axis being transverse with respect to the vehicle,

said axis being disposed both forward from said upper front edge and atan elevation higher than said upper front edge, at least one hydraulicoperating member having two ends and comprising a cylinder and a piston,

means for attaching said hydraulic operating member to saidsubstantially rigid closure member outside the interior of said bodyenclosed by said body and said closure member,

means for attaching said hydraulic operating member to a portion of saidbox body outside the interior of said body enclosed by said body andsaid closure member,

the ends of said hydraulic operating member being attached respectivelyto said means, and means for supplying hydraulic fluid under pressure tosaid hydraulic operating member, wherein said open top box body is thebox body of a dump truck which has a cab, said box body has a portionprojecting over said cab to protect said cab from falling objects andmaterial, two of said hydraulic operating members are provided attachedto said means for attaching said hydraulic operating member to said sub-7 stantially rigid closure member and to said portion of said box body,said means for attaching said hydraulic operating members to saidsubstantially rigid closure member are provided near the upper forwardedge of said substantially rigid closure member and said means forattaching said hydraulic operating members to said box body are providednear the forwardmost portion of said projecting portion of said boxbody.

4. In the device of claim 3, skirt portions depend downwardly from sideand rear edges of said substantially rigid closure member to extenddownwardly alongside upper portions of the sides and rear of said boxbody when said substantially rigid closure member is in the closedposition.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said open top box body is the box bodyof a semi-trailer, two of said hydraulic operating members are providedattached to said means for attaching said hydraulic operating member tosaid substantially rigid closure member and to said portion of said boxbody, said means for attaching said hydraulic operating members to saidsubstantially rigid closure member comprise members extendingsubstantially forward from said substantially rigid closure member andsaid means for attaching said hydraulic operating members to said boxbody are provided on the front of said box body downwardly from theupper front edge of said box body.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for supplying hydraulicfluid under pressure to said hydraulic operating members comprises meansto limit said pressure to a preselected pressure which is inadequate toopen said substantially rigid closure member when a substantial weightor downward force is added to said substantially rigid closure member inexcess of the weight of said substantially rigid closure member itself.I =l

1. In a load carrying wheeled vehicle open top box body having sides anda front and rear and provided with a closure for the open top of the boxbody, the combination of a single substantially rigid closure member ofsubstantially rigid material extending entirely over said open top ofsaid box body, said substantially rigid closure member hingedly attachedto said box body near the upper front edge of said box body to hingedlyopen on an axis, said axis being transverse with respect to the vehicle,said axis being disposed both forward from saId upper front edge and atan elevation higher than said upper front edge, at least one hydraulicoperating member having two ends and comprising a cylinder and a piston,means for attaching said hydraulic operating member to saidsubstantially rigid closure member outside the interior of said bodyenclosed by said body and said closure member, means for attaching saidhydraulic operating member to a portion of said box body outside theinterior of said body enclosed by said body and said closure member, theends of said hydraulic operating member being attached respectively tosaid means, and means for supplying hydraulic fluid under pressure tosaid hydraulic operating member.
 2. In the device of claim 1, skirtportions depend downwardly from side and rear edges of saidsubstantially rigid closure member to extend downwardly alongside upperportions of the sides and rear of said box body when said substantiallyrigid closure member is in the closed position.
 3. In a load carryingwheeled vehicle open top box body having sides and a front and rear andprovided with a closure for the open top of the box body, thecombination of a single substantially rigid closure member ofsubstantially rigid material extending entirely over said open top ofsaid box body, said substantially rigid closure member hingedly attachedto said box body near the upper front edge of said box body to hingedlyopen on an axis, said axis being transverse with respect to the vehicle,said axis being disposed both forward from said upper front edge and atan elevation higher than said upper front edge, at least one hydraulicoperating member having two ends and comprising a cylinder and a piston,means for attaching said hydraulic operating member to saidsubstantially rigid closure member outside the interior of said bodyenclosed by said body and said closure member, means for attaching saidhydraulic operating member to a portion of said box body outside theinterior of said body enclosed by said body and said closure member, theends of said hydraulic operating member being attached respectively tosaid means, and means for supplying hydraulic fluid under pressure tosaid hydraulic operating member, wherein said open top box body is thebox body of a dump truck which has a cab, said box body has a portionprojecting over said cab to protect said cab from falling objects andmaterial, two of said hydraulic operating members are provided attachedto said means for attaching said hydraulic operating member to saidsubstantially rigid closure member and to said portion of said box body,said means for attaching said hydraulic operating members to saidsubstantially rigid closure member are provided near the upper forwardedge of said substantially rigid closure member and said means forattaching said hydraulic operating members to said box body are providednear the forwardmost portion of said projecting portion of said boxbody.
 4. In the device of claim 3, skirt portions depend downwardly fromside and rear edges of said substantially rigid closure member to extenddownwardly alongside upper portions of the sides and rear of said boxbody when said substantially rigid closure member is in the closedposition.
 5. The device of claim 1 wherein said open top box body is thebox body of a semi-trailer, two of said hydraulic operating members areprovided attached to said means for attaching said hydraulic operatingmember to said substantially rigid closure member and to said portion ofsaid box body, said means for attaching said hydraulic operating membersto said substantially rigid closure member comprise members extendingsubstantially forward from said substantially rigid closure member andsaid means for attaching said hydraulic operating members to said boxbody are provided on the front of said box body downwardly from theupper front edge of said box body.
 6. The device of claim 1 wherein saidmeaNs for supplying hydraulic fluid under pressure to said hydraulicoperating members comprises means to limit said pressure to apreselected pressure which is inadequate to open said substantiallyrigid closure member when a substantial weight or downward force isadded to said substantially rigid closure member in excess of the weightof said substantially rigid closure member itself.